Chapter 7 – A Good Fit

Ianto was a master at laying low. He spent the rest of the week conveniently delivering reports and coffee when Jack wasn't in his office or when everybody was in Jack's office so they were never alone. Avoiding the team wasn't difficult. He had lots of practice and they weren't exactly going to go looking for him unless they needed something. By giving them what they wanted before they realized they needed it, he was able to set his own schedule. He'd studied them enough to know the patterns they weren't aware they had. He wouldn't say he exploited their predictability, but he did use it to keep them at arm's length.

He spent some time in the Archives, but it wasn't a perfect hideout. There were too many entrances for one thing. It was easy to sneak around without being seen. Ianto knew his way around the Archives better than anyone. Jack had called his skill for finding things "near supernatural". Ianto organized things, partially because he hated disorder and partially out of a morbid desire to make it easier for other people in case he wasn't around someday. Since he was around, the team left the Archives to him and if they needed something they would ask him to fetch it for them. Some people would mind, but Ianto preferred it to having them mess up his Island of Order.

The other area nobody wanted that Ianto had quietly claimed for himself was Reception. He knew the team laughed at how seriously he took it, but he made sure the public area had the latest brochures. He added a few things to amuse himself like the newspaper showing a woman who was briefly mayor and always an alien and postcards of places outside of Wales, but for the most part it was like any other Tourist Information Office only slightly neater.

Behind the counter, there was a little office. Ianto liked that it was one of the only Torchwood rooms with only one entrance. It didn't have a door, but Ianto put up a beaded curtain. It was more useful than a wooden door. It gave the impression of openness. Nothing to hide here! Ianto could see anybody coming or, if he was looking at the computer, he would hear them coming through the curtain.

It was Ianto's domain. He felt more at home there than he did his flat. And, best of all, even Jack avoided it. He could count on one hand the number of times anyone had been in there with him. Tosh would walk behind the counter, but she wouldn't get within three feet of the curtain. Owen came in once, but didn't stay long. Suzie said the room was filled with a Ianto vibe and it made her uneasy. And then there was Gwen.

It wasn't that Ianto and Gwen didn't get along. Ianto thought she was a bit phony, but he also thought he was the last person to call someone on that. The way she went on and on about her life as if she were the center of the universe drove Ianto crazy. He even admitted he was jealous of her. Jack was clearly smitten. She just didn't seem to realize how lucky she was. Jack, Rhys, Owen – it was selfish. Couldn't she settle for one? But he didn't feel any real animosity towards her.

He didn't spend a lot of time thinking about her and he was sure she didn't waste a minute on him. When she first came to Torchwood, he had to erase her notes on what she'd seen. He took a measure of satisfaction from not being mentioned in spite of being the first person she'd met and the last one she was introduced to. If he was invisible, it meant he'd done his job. In many ways, he thought she still didn't see him.

So it was with some surprise he saw Gwen staring at him from the other side of the beaded curtain.

"Can I get you something?" He gave her the smile he secretly referred to as "servile patience no. 2".

"Can I come in," she asked smiling, but sounding a little hesitant. Ianto knew that smile. He had it catalogued as "Gwen smile no. 4 – she wants some information, but is afraid of the answer".

"Of course. I'd open the door for you, but there isn't one." He tapped unnecessarily at his keyboard to give the impression that he was too busy for anything frivolous.

Gwen stepped through the curtain looking as though she thought the beads would burn her. She looked around the room. Ianto wondered what she was thinking.

"So this is where you hide from the world?"

No, he thought, this is where I hide from Torchwood. He widened his smile to "servile patience no. 3" and added a hint of "impertinent eyebrow lift".

"What was it you needed?"

"Well," Gwen began as she looked uncomfortably at Ianto, "Jack's been a little..."

"Moody," Ianto suggested.

"Yes, but he's been, well, it's like he's upset about something and he won't tell me what's wrong. It's like he's put up a barrier. Owen and Tosh noticed it, too. None of us know what's it is. Have you noticed anything?"

Ianto wasn't sure what to say. Part of him wanted to shock her and say something lewd about having sex with Jack, but most of him simply wanted her to go away. A small, but powerful part wanted Jack to feel better regardless of personal cost.

"He's probably still upset about John killing himself. He doesn't express his grief very well. You should go to him. Tell him you're there for him if he needs you." It killed Ianto to suggest that. Imagining Jack crying on Gwen's shoulder increased his bile production.

"I think it's more than that."

"He's worried about Owen, too," Ianto offered.

"I know, but it's like there's something else. Maybe..." She didn't finish her thought.

"Either tell him you care or leave him be until he snaps out of it." Ianto was annoyed. If she knew so bloody much why did she come here?

"But has he said anything to you?"

"The last conversation I had with him ended with Jack saying he didn't need me. Does that help you in some way?" Ianto hadn't meant to snap. Gwen took two steps back and jumped when she hit the curtain.

"Sorry, sorry, Ianto, but that's my point. Jack would never say something like that normally. He relies on you. In fact, we were talking, me, Owen, and Tosh, and we thought since you and Jack have a rapport maybe you could talk to him." She smiled and Ianto didn't see any real joy in it.

"What you really mean is you and the team were talking and, since I'm not exactly one of you, I could voice your concerns to him and if he kills me for my trouble, it's only Ianto so it's no big loss."

"That's not what I'm saying..."

"But it is what you mean." Ianto exaggeratedly looked at his watch. He was well aware of the time. "I've got to go."

"You could have a word with Jack before you go..."

"No, afraid not," Ianto said moving Gwen out of his office. "I'm having lunch with friends and then a suit fitting." Gwen held her ground behind the counter. Ianto sighed. "But when I get back, I'll have a word with Jack. If it goes badly, which it will, remember I want cryo-vault 33 and I want the coffee machine decommissioned."

Gwen did a happy jump and kissed his cheek. She clapped her hands together merrily.

"I knew we could count on you!" She was practically glowing as she went back to the Hub. Ianto was glad someone was happy.

He had plenty of time. He hadn't planned on leaving yet, but he couldn't stick around now. He drove to Dylan's barber shop trying not to think about talking to Jack. He was surprised to find Dylan and Tom waiting for him.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," he said shaking their hands. "I left a bit early."

"Not at all," Dylan said putting on his coat. "The good thing about being semi-retired is we can go to lunch anytime we want. The bad thing is you get so bored something like going to lunch becomes a big deal!"

"Sad, but true," Tom said slapping Ianto on the back. "Let's check out!"

They went to a steakhouse near the Fish. Gloria's Steakhouse was a sit down restaurant and Ianto had never been to it. It didn't look like the kind of place a solo diner would feel comfortable. He tried to get Jack to go with him once, but Jack teased him asking if Ianto was asking him out on a date. In a way he had been so it hurt his feelings more than he cared to admit. And, Ianto thought, here I am thinking about bloody Jack Harkness again.

A porterhouse steak, a bottle of pinot noir, and a profiterole sundae later, Ianto's jaw was tired from chewing and laughing. He hadn't eaten or laughed so heartily in ages, certainly not since he returned to Wales.

"Can I get you gentlemen anything else," the server asked.

"I think just the check, Sarah. That was a lovely meal. Thank you," Ianto said smiling. The waitress smiled back and left.

"Lovely meal," Tom said, "but you meant lovely girl! You should get her number."

"She'll probably write it on the bill," Dylan said. "It's that haircut. I should have warned you about the possible side effects."

"Maybe I should invest in a hat," Ianto said laughing. "I'd hate to have to break hearts everywhere I go!"

"Oh yeah? You got a girlfriend," Dylan asked.

Ianto knew that tone. It was the tone that included the unspoken question 'are you gay'. Then again, he thought, I might be reading too much into it. If I hadn't been with Jack...

"Ah, no, not now. I had a girlfriend, back in London."

"She didn't want to move to Cardiff," Tom pried.

"No, she's the reason I moved back. We worked for the same...people. One really bad day things went really bad. I feel a little like a widower. We weren't married, mind, but we would have gotten there. I know I need to move on, but it's tough, you know, especially in my line of work."

"Sorry for your loss, lad," Dylan said. "I've been married 49 years. For the first two years, Erzsi barely spoke any English and not a word of Welsh. Now she can talk my ear off and curse me in both." Dylan smiled. "We're planning a big do for the 50th. You'll have to come! She'll think I hired her a stripper!"

"What about you, Tom?" Ianto's chuckle faded as he returned the nosy question.

"Twice divorced. First one left because I was pining away for another woman. Second one left because I was pining away for the first one." Tom laughed without joy. "Of course, the job didn't help."

The check arrived and Ianto paid insisting that one of them could get it next time. They were all quietly pleased that there would be a next time.

Dylan and Tom decided to go with Ianto to his fitting. Sid was excited to see them. Ianto managed to convince Sid not to call him Mr. Jones, but he couldn't convince him 'Ianto' was a good alternative. Following Dylan and Tom, Sid called him 'Jaunty'.

They all jumped when they heard the door open. A young woman in a red turtleneck and plaid pants came in and took off her ear buds. She gave a shy, half-hearted wave.

"This is my granddaughter, Amy. She's helping me with your suit! Amy, this is Tom, Dylan, and Jaunty. Jaunty's the one getting the new suit." She nodded.

"Jaunty. That's an odd name."

"It's actually Ianto," Ianto said.

"Bah," interrupted Tom. "Give it up! You will be Jaunty Jones from now on. You could get knighted and the Queen will say 'Sir Jaunty of Jones'." They laughed.

"Let's see if we can add to Jaunty's legend," Sid said leading him to the fitting area.

The suit was further along than Ianto expected. Sid explained various features to his granddaughter. Ianto thought she was being a bit rude and not paying close attention to what Sid was saying. She clearly thought she knew more than he did.

"Is he going to be hand scrubbing a floor in this or something," she whined.

"You'd be surprised," Ianto said dryly. She gave him a dirty look.

"Amy, in Jaunty's line of work, his clothing isn't simply clothes. This is his suit of armor! This is form, fit, and function," Sid explained passionately.

"It's a thing of beauty! Structure, substance, and style," Ianto said enthusiastically.

"It's a suit," Amy said blandly.

They gave up trying to explain. Sid pinned a few more pieces and announced he was done.

"Mr. Jaunty," Amy said as they were leaving.

Ianto walked to the desk she was standing next to and smiled. She didn't smile back. Ianto thought she looked at him as blankly as if she worked for Torchwood.

"There's a matter of the deposit for the suit. I don't have a record of receiving it."

"Amy," Sid exclaimed joining them, "men like Mr. Jones don't leave a deposit!"

"No, it's fine," Ianto said. "In my line of work, I'm surprised they don't ask me to pay my electric bill in advance." The men laughed while Amy blinked loudly. He handed her a credit card. "Go ahead and charge the full price."

"We were talking, Jaunty," Dylan said. "Since you aren't ready to date yet, are you free tonight? We have a little poker game in the backroom of the barber shop."

"It would be great to have some new money in the pot," Tom said.

"Sounds good. As long as work doesn't call," Ianto quickly added.

"Good. 9 o'clock then," Dylan said rubbing his hands together. "What about you, Sid?"

"Count me out. I'm planning on being in bed by 9!"

Amy handed the card back to Ianto and a slip to sign without a word. Ianto signed and handed it back.

"Thank you, Amy. Have a great weekend," he said even though he didn't care if she spent the weekend choosing a bridge to jump off. "Sid, you are a true craftsman. Always a pleasure," Ianto said shaking the tailor's hand.

He dropped Dylan and Tom off and drove to Torchwood. His afternoon had been going so well he knew it couldn't last. He dreaded talking to Jack, but he'd told Gwen he would. He spent the drive rehearsing what he was going to say to his former...well, former whatever they were.